Mr Brightsides
by BandGeek99
Summary: Kyo left two years ago at Christmas time at the tormenting sight of Yuki and Tohru under the mistletoe. And when he returns...? Kyoru oneshot. Songfic to "Mr. Brightsides" by the Killers.


Mr. Brightsides – by BandGeek99

**Depthmon: Another songfic?!**

**BandGeek: Of course! What else would I be writing? (*looks genuinely confused*)**

**The Deimon Commander From Hell: (*turning page of **_**Villain's Weekly**_** idly*) I don't know… how about another chapter of your EPICS?**

**BG: (*looks confused*) What's an epic?**

**TDCFH: One of your stories with multiple chapters that's **_**still not done**_**.**

**BG: (*blushes*)**

**Kenny: Come on, guys, leave your fellow author alone!**

**BG: Yeah, Kenny's the muse here, not me! She's the one with the ideas! (*points accusingly*)**

**Kenny: Crap.**

**Depthmon, TDCFH, and other angry authors: (*form an angry mob and chase Kenny*)**

**BG: (*smiles innocently*) I don't own Mr. Brightsides, which is property of Brandon Flowers and his band mates in the Killers, or Fruits Basket, which is property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei. I don't even own the idea that the song is SO Kyo. (*sighs*) Meh… Anyway, enjoy!**

**000**

I should have known it would happen. I shouldn't have gotten so confident. Tohru was too perfect for me; she'd never pick me. Even if I hadn't left for the mountains, she'd have gone right back to the damn rat.

_I'm coming out of my cage  
And I've been doing just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all_

I wanted to become the best martial artist in all of Japan. I trained every day. Even after the Zodiac curse was broken, even after I would no longer turn into a cat, or the cat's second monstrosity of a form, I stayed away from her. Even after she was the one who broke the curse, I didn't even thank her. I trained.

When Yuki kissed her that Christmas, I saw the look on her face. Blushing and teary, like she'd been waiting for it. That was all I saw before I left Shigure's house for good.

It wasn't how it was supposed to be. At least, not in my mind. I was supposed to be with Torhu – Yuki could sort out his own stupid problems.

_  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this?  
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss_

It's late. The sun went down a while ago, and I sit atop of a building in the middle of town, giving me a perfect view of the couple I haven't seen in over two years.

Her hands cradle a cell phone against her thin face while Yuki lights a cigarette and holds it firmly between his lips.

My lip curls at the disgusting habit while I look him over. He's essentially the same; same bizarre grey hair and violet eyes, tall, thin figure, and pale complexion. However, this time, he looks completely wasted and I wonder what he's been doing.

Tohru, however, doesn't look drunk or stoned – she just looks tired. Her big blue eyes are drained and I see her weariness in her stance. She doesn't look exuberant like she did before I left – she looks miserable.

She talks to the person on the other end of the phone line, a cab company most likely, as she and the rat don't seem to have a car. She thanks the person politely and flips the phone shut and Yuki approaches her, holding the cigarette between two fingers. He holds it out to her, and to my surprise, she reaches for it and sandwiches it between her lips, inhaling deeply.

She holds the cigarette away from her, coughing madly. She hands it back to Yuki, who glances at his companion and shrugs.

A yellow taxi pulls up to the curb as I yawn. It's almost two in the morning.

_  
Now I'm falling asleep  
And she's calling a cab  
While he's having a smoke  
And she's taking a drag_

I find my way down to the street from my rooftop perch and slouch my way home, tired and distraught at what I've seen.

Yuki and Tohru. _I should have known,_ I tell myself. _They must be married by now. Two years later…_ I feel nauseous as I think of what the two might do behind closed doors. I groan as I think of it – she runs her hands over his chest, like I wish she'd do to me, and he unzips her dress.

I stop in the middle of the sidewalk, tears dripping down my cheeks and splattering onto the cold asphalt. It's hard to even think about it.

_  
Now they're going to bed  
And my stomach is sick  
And it's all in my head  
But she's touching his chest  
Now, he takes off her dress  
Now, letting me go  
_

I visit Shigure's the next day.

He opens the door with a sleepy expression on his face and I can hear him grumbling as he fumbles with the lock on the door. "Whaddya want?" he says grouchily before catching a glimpse of me.

Unbelieving, the former dog reaches up and grabs a piece of my hair, ruffling it. He gives me a couple of slaps on the cheek, and I grab his wrist to stop him.

"Cut it out, stupid dog," I growl.

He grins and laughs, elated. "It's Kyo-kun! Yuki-kun, Tohru-kun, Kyonkichi's back!"

I sigh. I really don't want him to call for them.

Shigure pulls me inside the house. It's just as I remember it, if not a bit sloppier, since I'm not around to help Tohru with the chores.

The Rat slowly troops into the room, rubbing his eyes. "What are you yelling about so early in the morning?"

"Can't you see the bright orange in the middle of the room?!" Shigure cries and shakes my shoulders. "Look! Kyo's back!"

Yuki blinks a few times and I laugh mentally. He's still washed out from the night before. "Oh, Kyon."

Tohru enters a moment later, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "Kyo?" she whispers and looks at me from the doorway. "You're back."

I nod, not looking at her. "Yeah, just passing through." My voice is scratchy, and I have to push the words out of my mouth because they won't come naturally.

She gazes at me with intent and I glare at Shigure. It's his entire fault I have to face her.

Tohru takes a tentative step forward and Yuki puts his arms around her shoulder. I notice that she tenses slightly, but no feelings other than envy penetrate the walls I built so carefully around my heart.

Memories come rushing like untamed animals into my mind. I remember all the smiles she gave me, all the things she did around the house, and all the words the told me. The tingle of stolen hugs we had shared jump into my head. I remember the time when Shishou, my master, took off my juzu beads and the true demon form of the cat appeared. Tohru was afraid – but she accepted it. She accepted me when no one else did.

_And I just can't look - it's killing me  
And taking control  
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea  
Turning through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside  
_

_I can't let it get to me,_ I remind myself. I am going to be a martial artist; I must forget about it all.

I'm still in my shell while Yuki tromps upstairs to sleep it all off, and Shigure leaves for Hatori's to bother him for a while.

"So… Um, Kyo-kun, would you like some tea?" Tohru asks, looking slightly nervous and awkward.

I smile to make her feel better. It's a smile only she can coax out of me. "Sure. That sounds good."

She moves about the kitchen while I sit on the floor in front of the table. There is the clattering of china as she emerges from the other room with a tray.

Tohru smiles at me, and I see that the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. "It's been a long time, Kyo-kun," she says softly.

"Yeah, it has," I say, as awkward as ever in front of her.

There's silence as I accept a cup of tea from her and take a sip. The scalding hot water runs down my throat, a welcome change from icy, often muddy water I usually drink from streams.

"So how have you been?" she asks me and it takes me a moment to respond.

"Oh… I've been well," I begin. "I feel less weird around people now. It's nice, you know? To not have to worry about a secret being found out. Especially if I want to be a fighter."

_  
I'm coming out of my cage  
And I've been doing just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all_

She smiles at me, and this time it reaches her eyes. "That's good. I'm glad Kyo-kun is following his dream."

I smile, but not really. My lips curl upward and that's all. There's nothing inside. "Thanks. So how are you and Yuki doing? You tied the knot?"

She looks away from me, as if she is uncomfortable. "Well, he's talked about it, but I don't think I'd say yes, and I know it's selfish and cruel of me, but I don't love Yuki-kun the way he loves me. I-I'm in love with someone else."

My jaw almost drops. She doesn't love him. "Really?" I manage.

She nods and wipes away a tear.

"Then why did you put up with him for this long?!" I cry, slamming a fist on the table.

"It would have broken his heart if I'd rejected him," she tells me, still not looking at my face.

I almost laugh bitterly. She's with a man she doesn't love because she doesn't want to break his heart. She's still the same. "Tohru…" I sigh. "It's okay to be selfish once in a while, especially when it comes to love." I'm surprised at myself. I've never spoken so profoundly in my life.

Tohru seems surprised, too. She looks up at me with her big blue eyes.

I'm on a roll, so I continue, making up everything on the fly based on everything I know and am certain of. "When I saw you that Christmas, you looked so happy he kissed you, I just left it alone. It bothered me, so I left to train. I never liked the idea of you and Yuki. I still don't."

"How come?" she asks innocently and I take a deep breath, readying myself for what I want to say.

"Because I love you."

She stares at me and in a flash she's flying over the table, knocking over the pot of tea, and flinging herself onto me. "Kyo-kun!" she wails and starts kissing my cheeks. "Oh, Kyo-kun, I missed you! I couldn't break Yuki's heart, and when you left, it seemed like the only thing I could do…" She starts to cry into my shirt and I stay frozen, leaning on my elbows with her small figure atop of me.

"Sh…It's okay," I murmur, stroking her hair and resting my chin atop her head. It feels so… right. "It'll be alright…" I say things that come straight from my heart and forget about myself for a moment; the important thing is, Tohru and I are together for once.

"I never knew," she whimpers and gently rests her head on my shoulder. "If I had… If I had, I would never have let you go!"

"And why's that?" I ask.

"Because I love you too!"

_I never...  
I never...  
I never...  
I never..._

We stay like that for a while and I lift her face up to see me. I gently place my lips on hers and she responds by tensing up for a moment before placing her hands gently on my shoulders.

When we break apart, I bring my red eyes to meet her oceanic ones. "Tohru, I don't think I've ever said this before, but… thank you."

She cocks her head to the side and rubs her eyes, still red from her previous crying jag. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, thank you for accepting us, for breaking the curse, for loving us, and for… well, for accepting me."

"Huh? Kyo-kun, you don't have to say that. I felt obligated to help my family." She blushes. "I'm sorry; it was rude of me to say that."

"Tohru, you _are_ a part of the Sohma family now. You know our curse. You broke the curse. Maybe… Maybe you'd consider being with me, officially?"

She nods, beaming, but the smile disappears fast. "What about Yuki-kun?"

"Forget the damn rat," I sigh and for once, she does.

"Okay." She curls closer to me and we rest on the floor for a while. The only sound in the room is our breathing and I forget about everything else in the world, including Ratty. It feels perfect; alone together, in love, with Tohru lying in my arms. I wouldn't have it any other way.

**000**

**Wow. (*looks impressed*) I've never done a fic in present tense before. I'm very proud!!**

**Depthmon: Hey, there's something different about you, but I can't peg it…**

**The Deimon Commander From Hell: (*still reading his magazine*) She's not wearing glasses.**

**Depthmon: Really? (*examines BG carefully*) Oh, you're right!**

**BG: (*rolling eyes*) Idiot… I got contacts a week ago, and you just now notice?**

**TDCFH: Obviously, he hasn't been in an author's note for longer than that since YOU NEVER UPDATE!!**

**BG: (*ignoring last comment*) Oh, well that makes sense…**

**Depthmon: (*still trying to get over the fact that BG is now without glasses and wearing contacts*)**

**BG: Please press the pretty green-and-white button and tell me what you think!! Please? (*big anime pleading eyes*)**

**Hope you liked!**

**---BANDGEEK---**


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